Leader Guide
Game
- Four round balloons, plus extras
- Permanent marker
- Four 18 oz. plastic cups (wide mouth), plus extras
- Four small paper plates (7 inch), plus extras
- Optional: painters tape or masking tape
- Optional: items to make an obstacle course, such as chairs, brooms, buckets, blankets, etc.
- Instructions
Blow up the balloons and tie closed.
With the permanent marker, write “God’s Word” on two balloons and “God’s Spirit” on the other two balloons.
Use tape to mark two lines as far apart from each other as possible, representing the two edges of the wilderness. Optional: Create an obstacle course in the wilderness using chairs, brooms, buckets, etc.
Weapons to Win: Play a game to take God’s Word and Spirit with you.
Let’s say the SuperTruth together: “Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations.”
Jesus defeated the devil with two important weapons. Here is a hint for the first weapon: Jesus quoted it. God’s Word.
Jesus quoted God’s Word three times to overcome the devil’s temptations.
Now here is a hint for the second weapon. Fill in the blank: When Jesus was baptized, He was filled with God’s ______. Spirit.
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. And the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. This is what our game is based on. Walk from line to line as you explain.
You will travel from one line, which represents one edge of the wilderness, to the other line, which represents the other side of the wilderness. Like Jesus, you will need to be armed with two important weapons. You will take God’s Spirit and God’s Word with you. They are represented by these balloons. Hold up the balloons.
In the Bible, the Spirit is sometimes represented by oil or water. You could pour liquids like those into a cup, so we will place the balloon marked God’s Spirit on this cup. Place “God’s Spirit” balloon on the cup.
God’s Word is sometimes represented by something that you can eat. Can you guess what it is? Bread.
Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life. So we will place the balloon marked God’s Word on this plate. Place the balloon on the plate.
You will play as teams. Each player must travel through the wilderness with God’s Spirit and God’s Word—carrying the balloons on the plate and cup. Walk as fast as possible, but if you aren’t careful, a balloon may fall to the ground. If that happens, you must stop and place it back on the cup or plate and then continue. It would be too dangerous to enter the wilderness without your weapons—Jesus didn’t! If you created an obstacle course in the wilderness, briefly explain it.
Now, once a player reaches the other side of the wilderness, give your plate, cup and balloons to the next teammate, who will immediately begin the journey.
Divide the children into two even teams, then divide each team into two groups. Have one group from each team stand in single file by one wilderness line, and have the other group from each team stand in single file by the other wilderness line. If teams are not equal, have one player on the smaller team play twice.
Start the game. The first team to have all players complete the wilderness journey wins.
Conclusion: Of course, we don’t carry God’s Word and Spirit around like objects that can be dropped! We only did that for the game. In real life, God’s Spirit lives in us and His Word is in our hearts and minds. No one can take them from us! Now, let’s learn more about how Jesus used God’s Word and Spirit to defeat the devil!